Social Work Program: Student Opportunities

Habitat for Humanity
Students volunteer during spring break to work with Habitat for Humanity, a national organization that seeks to eliminate poverty and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Contact Brad Yoder (faculty advisor) for more information.

Social Service Club
The SSC  is a student organization for students from any major.  Members are interested in serving their community and learning  about the world of social services and professional social work.  Activities include service projects, guest speakers, and more! 
Contact Barb Burdge (faculty advisor) for more information.

Study Abroad
Social work students can participate in any MU study abroad opportunity, but two are specifically designed for social work students. Every other January Session, social work faculty lead a travel course to Kingston, Jamaica, to study social welfare in the Caribbean. The University also offers a study abroad semester in Chennai, India, during which students take social work courses at the local university and have a field placement with a local human service organization.  Many other January Session international trips and semester abroad opportunities are available to students of any major.

Internships: Field Instruction and Practicum
All students in the social work program participate in a senior year internship experience, providing exposure to family service agencies, homeless shelters, hospitals, schools, nursing or retirement homes, mental health centers, group homes, probation departments, rehabilitation centers, refugee resettlement programs, and welfare agencies. This field experience for seniors allows students to develop professional practice skills, while integrating the knowledge and values developed in class.  Students can elect to do a smaller practicum for an additional internship experience. 

Chicago Center for Urban Life and Culture
The Chicago Center has a long-standing relationship with Manchester University. Students of any major may spend a semester or a January session at Chicago Center. Social work students do an internship in the city.

Office of Volunteer Services
All students are encouraged to use the OVS on campus.  Their super staff will help you locate and secure volunteer opportunities.